Method of recovering copper from ore or matte by electrolysis.



PATENTED MAR. 1.0, 1908.

No. 881,580. H. K. HEss. METHOD 0E EEGGVEEINEl COPPER EEOM OEE 0E. MATTE BY ELEGTEUEYSIS.

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APPLICATION FILED JAN.31,1907.

UNITED srngmfi/DENT oFFicE.

HENRY K. HESS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANI.

METHOD 0F RECOVERING COPPER FROM ORE OR MATTE BY ELECTROLYSIS.

vSpecification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 10, 1908.

Application iled January 31, 1907. Serial No. 355,145.

To all whom it may concern:

Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia,

in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useul Improvements in. Methods of El-ectrolysls, of which the following, taken in p f. bricks or ore Be it known that I, HENRY K. Huss, of by particles are then arranged side side and end to end within a suitable sand mold, forming the subject matter of my pending application, Serial No. 355,144 tiled Janul ary 31, 1907 leaving a slight spacefbetw'een connection with the accompanying drawings, I

is a full, clear, and exact descripiton.

This invention relates to certain improvements in the method of recovering copper from natural ore or matte by electrolysls.

The essential object of my' invention is to extract or recover copper and other soluble metals directly from the natural ores or matte by means of electric energy, as distinguished from the smelting or lixiviating processes. yIn other words, I have sought to simplify the method of recovering cop er and other metals from natural ore by e ectrolysis, by subjecting one or more electrodes ,or pulverized copper ore mixed with a suitable bond, as clay, and small articles of combustible ber formed into riquets, bricks or ore particles which have been previouslyburned or baked to liberate any volatile matter therein, such as sulfur and its gases, and to incinerate suitab the combustible. fiber incorporated therein, Whereb the composition constituting the electro e is porous, but is further confined i Within an electric conducting frame of acid' resisting material, such as lead, the purposev being to allow the electrolyte and electric current to permeate the entire mass of ore for liberating the copper therein. These articles are made under a process described) in my pending application, Serial No. 355,143 filed January 31, 1907 and the completed electrode consti-A tutes vthe subjectmatter of my pending application No. 355,144 filed January 31, 1907.

During the heating of the briquets, bricks or ore particles the cohesive bond, as clay, which unites the comminuted particles of ore or matte is baked or hardened; the gases and volatile matter is driven oil and the oxildizable metals contained therein are oxiadized, and at the same time the fibrous material incorporated in the briquets bricks or ore particles is incinerated leaving the briquet, brick or ore particle extremely porous and more readil lytic action of diliited acid which is employed in my Ipresent process to liberate co per. A e number of these.. porus riquets,

susceptible to the electro-rv -quets, bricks or ore comminuted or pulverized co the contiguous faces of the briquets, bricks or ore particles atter which -the acid resisting metal frame, as lead, is cast around and between the series oi. briquets, bricks or ore i particles for supporting the latter, the obct 1n using a sand mold being to permit the escape of the gases and other va )ors which may be liberated by the heat. Tlie series of briquets, bricks or ore articles which are thus confined within the llead frame constitute an electrode, and in the electrolytic process ci' recovering the copper from the briquets, forming the subject matter ol my present application, I preferably employ a series of these electrodes alternating with suitable sup orts or electrodes upon which the liber ate( copper may be deposited during the electrolytic action, it being understood that these electrodes are laced within a suitable cell containing the e ectrolyte.

In the drawings,Figure 1 is a top plan ol an electrolytic process for carrying out the objects of my invention. F igs.2, 3, and 4 liliesy 2--2, Fig. 1 3 3, Fig, 2, and 4 4, Fig.

Figs. 5 and 6 are perspective views showing respectively the briquet, brick or ore particle electrode and support for the copper deposit.

As shown in the drawings, this electrolytic apparatus comprises a'cell -1- and electrodes -2- and -3-, the electrodes -2- alternating with the electrodes -3- and consisting of a plurality of porous briparticles -4- arranged side by side and end to end, and coniined within a cast lead frame -`5-, as set forth in my pending application No. 355,144 iiled January 31, 1907. These porous briquets, bricks or ore particles are composed of iinely )per ore with a cohesive bond, as clay, to et 1er with a heat destructible iiber, all of W ich is'thoroughly mixed and incorporated into a compact mass and then sub'ected to heat to incinerate the combustible ber, leaving the briquet, brick or ore particle uniformly porous, and there fore, more readily susceptible t0 the actionv of the electrolytic acid in'liberating the copper. This electric action is well understood,

.andneed not be specifically described in this "rorumle side towards its opposite side for together av plieatiori further uhrri ilo siate 'that the eieetrolyte usually Consists of dilute siilf furie or hydroohlorir-y seid. capable of s )eerlily perinezitiug the briquets and lisse ving the copper vwhich is dit .iled by the notion ol"v lshe electric eurroiii and deposits or eolleous upoiithe electrodes or supports -3-.

The cell -l liiay be of any suiiwablo msi,- teIial, but in this )articula-r instance con* s ists of :in outer sheh of wood li fied witl sheet lead and sul-mounted by iframe ---6-- of in sulrrtfirig majerisl, asporeebiin, upon. which the electrodes .--2-- and -S-m are sup ported, the electrodes -2-- being provided with lateral offsets or shouhlers -9- :md the electrodes -2- are suspended iipon a, bei' f8-1 the opposite ends of' the bar S and shoulders ---Qvresting upon the upper fseeof the insulating frame 4 6 to electricsilly*` insulate the eieotrodes from euch other.

in order ige facilitate 4the removal of :my precipitate of the eieetrodes from the cell the bottoni 'of such cell is preferabiy inclined the purposeo loeelizhig said material at the low point of the cell into whieli one eid of a. suitable Siphon may be immersed for Lle pur pose of drawing oil'k such neeiuriulslioris.

It will be seen from the foregoing descrip tion bliss this process, brieily sslexl, con sslfs it. support-ing in a suitable eieetrolyle, n series oi" eieetrodes containing one or more porous briquets, bricks or ore periirivs ol eoirimirlioe'il or gulverized copper ore, bound by a. suitable bond esp-bie oi' rerai 111g thoseirl in the liberation or dissolution or" the copper therefrom, and .lui-llmeenlin- .iiig the briquets, bries or ore purtiiies in e.. lea-rl freine, which isoasi. around :mil between the briques iii the meid se is to assure f1 firm eoriteero'i' folie lead with ilu. briquets, bricks or ore irlicies in. ille formi: lon. ol the eleetrorle, als. ie addiion to this, Le immerse in. they same eleetroiyte, suitable supports or electrodes for the Copper deposit el' copperwhieh is iibr sized by the eleolirolylie :action o "alle eleeivr eurrent.

l. The herein desf'ribed process recom/'w mural oro or m Le coueist'irig in imliiersing porous briques con- 'miniiig particles oi eomiriinuted oro iii an eeetroiye together with e, leed eier-,trede iii subjecting the same lo "ille air-ihm o" :n:

trie Current for the: liberi. irl of il ,y

2. The herein deseribed proves; nl' -1- Ming* @Opper from 'maximal oro vomir; mixing a quantity' of miiziniiiiiierl com together with a body oi chg'. soli# vitrifyirig the clay to bis@ the ore 'l together and immersing the whole in able electrolyte in. the p1 :ree of: si! electrodes, one of which is m i met with ille body ol ore limi r ing' the eo )per therefrom.

3. The liereiii deserilml proves@ et" :j: fering copper from ores eo. sisi-ing in fw a. brh met of eommiuuml ore, vogetnibie fiber, than. beati@ 1 C 'thus formed sullieieullv 'Lzlyiera'roi ihr lib@ and to virily the ylzijv, Lliuff reiniiiilu.' iii', briquet permis, :mail inni 'y llw bri quei, iu :i suitable elwflrfplyll the illes-- ence of sililaible ehPlrmla-:s, om nl' wlsvll if, in permanent corner/L with mrbriquvt ..r iibeisiirig the com): x therefrom.

4. The herein rlrsifribeil molliml ol rerum eriug copper imm il, ores vh vf wlysis con Sistine' in immer into u. suitable vlesro" ijfle ai sell-sushi nig ulvcli'oile oi uominiim'lell copper ore lwlil *regi-ibm' bf is bowl el" .ibriiieil inlay :Mill supporlinggj i 'wnrls lor, :unl lieu subjewing; who vlwiroih mi! eleelrolyre telly. am icm of' mi vlo-iris razrrvrii in the presenr., il' :i si mi eier-l :wie for llw deposition of the voir-pm' 5. The llvleili llvsigrlwrl llwiixrrl 1li' f.`1 o\'- @ring 'koppel' from its wrm: wwf ng," lo von iiuing eoiiiriiiiiuwil #opper voiiiiiiliz f lli .means of am earthy' bonf'; burmwl i: l-..\i\lii wr to increase its porosiljy' :mii lo rer-miei ilu, body of eoinminulell ore sellsiislziiiwiriyj mid 'ailixing zr lend comlm-lor 'Lo promu-r bil-.13, to form :ui eler'lrorla", immer he ulm@ rlwfs togolher with i: sommi elem olle for 'www ing the Coppel." deposit into u suitable flee-- irolyte 21ml subjColin?A snirl elegir/.Mies to 1b action ol im eleririeel rurreiit, wlarsevi nihfopper is expelled from ib?I immo boil:

periimiieiit solitari with. she briquets sud. 

